How to create a Nextcloud group

Nextcloud groups collect accounts under names used by shares, app restrictions, and delegated administration. Creating the group before onboarding users gives administrators a stable target for access rules instead of editing each account separately.

The server-side occ group commands create the group and manage membership from the installed Nextcloud directory. Run them as the web-server user that owns the instance so database writes and generated files stay under the same account as the web application.

Use a neutral group ID such as editors and add an existing account only after the group record exists. A membership check with group:list proves the group can be assigned without depending on the browser Users page.

1. Open a shell on the Nextcloud server and enter the installation directory.

   $ cd /var/www/nextcloud

2. Confirm occ can read the installed instance.

   $ sudo -E -u www-data php occ status
     - installed: true
   ##### snipped #####
     - maintenance: false
   ##### snipped #####

   www-data is the HTTP user on Debian and Ubuntu. Use the web-server user that owns the Nextcloud files when the instance runs under a different account.
   Related: How to run Nextcloud occ commands

3. Create the group.

   $ sudo -E -u www-data php occ group:add editors

   editors is the group ID stored by Nextcloud. Choose a name that still reads clearly in share targets, app rules, and user lists.

4. Inspect the group record.

   $ sudo -E -u www-data php occ group:info editors
     - groupID: editors
     - displayName: editors
     - backends:
       - Database

5. Add an existing user to the group.

   $ sudo -E -u www-data php occ group:adduser editors ada

   group:adduser accepts one or more existing user IDs after the group ID. Create the account first if ada does not exist.
   Related: How to create a Nextcloud user

6. Verify the group membership.

   $ sudo -E -u www-data php occ group:list editors
     - editors:
       - ada

   Use --output=json_pretty when another script needs to consume the group list.